Van Halen
Polaris Amphitheater
Columbus, OH
July 25, 1998

Set List - Click here!

Review by Kevin Champa - kkevin55@hotmail.com

The Kenny Wayne Shepard Band kicked tonights show off with a bang, hes a good compliment to Eddie, Kenny will be a huge star soon.

But Van Halen put on a kick ass show tonight. 2 encores and the last having three songs (a new acoustic, Panama and Dance The Night Away). The new singer is 20 times better than Hagar ever was and will be. They were awesome till Hagar's voice came in, now they are even better when the new singer comes in.

My wife and I saw the show in Cleveland back in May and had to catch them again. Great performance, as always. Highlights include "Somebody Get Me A Doctor", "I'm The One" "Year To The Day"......the list goes on and on. They looked like they were really enjoying themselves and the crowd fed off of this nicely.

My ears are ringing still. Gary, you the man!!!!!!!!!!! And Eddie, well Eddie was at the top of his game, great solo and vocals. Michael and Alex held it all together brilliantly, as only the can. THANKS.........Can't wait to see Van Halen next time.

This has got to be one of the greatest concerts ever! This is the second time I have seen Van Halen this year as I was in Cleveland to see them earlier this year. All I have to say is incredible, they had me mezmorized from Unchained to Feel Your Love Tonight. The band was awesome, Gary was running all over the place, it was great to see him with so much enthusiasm.

Alex Van Halen, what more can you say about the world's greatest drummer, he was on it tonight, never missed a beat. Michael Anthony's lead vocals on Somebody Get Me A Doctor was inspiring to say the least, my favorite moment during this song was when an incredibly hot women came out dressed in a nurse outfit with a bottle of Jack Daniels, which Mike took a drink out of and then left the stage with her!!

After returning to the stage Mike and everybody else was treated to the best guitarist in the world, Eddie Van Halen, he is truely in a whole other dimension than any other being, the way he ripped into Cathedral at the beginning and added some interesting twists to it was mind blowing, also going through other bits such as Eruption and 316.

My personal highlights were I'm The One, Humans Being, Unchained, Mean Street, Panama, Jump, Feel Your Love Tonight, and Fire In The Hole. The only complaint I have is that the best damn show ended just a little too soon for my taste. My advice to any Van Halen fan is to go see these guys in concert, they'll blow you away, and Gary Cherone will prove that he is the perfect fit because of how he moves on stage and sings any VH song, regardless of who wrote it.

I'm not a big fan at all of the new album, but I went to the show because I am a Van Halen fan and you should never judge a band by their last album. Plus, Gary really is a great singer and they're playing all the old stuff so I was expecting a hell of a show, and that's just what I got.

First off, let me acknowledge the great performance turned in by the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. They played a short, but very tight set.

Van Halen made their appearance with no fanfare around 8:30, launching right into Unchained and sticking pretty much to the same setlist they've been playing since April. Some hot spots during the show included Mean Street with a lot of playing to the crowd by Eddie and Gary, a rare rendition of I'm The One complete with barbershop vocals from the band and crowd, and pretty much everything after the drum solo.

I think the band sounded a little tighter as the night went on. A Year To The Day in particular sounded much better this time than the performance on the MTV special. I wasn't expecting a second encore after Jump so I was pleasantly surprised when the band returned for Dance The Night Away and Feel Your Love Tonight. However, when the house lights came up afterwards, there were a few boos in the crowd, probably expecting a few more songs before the 11:00 local curfew.

The band looked like they were having a great time, but then again they always have. Eddie looked as happy as ever and his playing was typically jaw-dropping. Apparently, he's shortened his solo spot for this tour, but his solo still contained all the classics (Cathedral, Spanish Fly, Eruption, 316). Alex looks in better shape than ever despite still having to wear that damn neckbrace. I think, however, that it's time to retool or shorten that drum solo.

Mikey, though he didn't get to solo, was featured on lead vocals for Somebody Get Me A Doctor, and he did an amazing job. And his bass playing and harmonizing were right on the money all night. As for Gary, he can definitely sing. I noticed that he has a tendency to spontaneously tweek the vocal melodies to some old songs, the Sammy ones in particular. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. His stage presence is quite different from those of Sammy or Dave, but he still got the crowd going and even tried to get into the crowd during Aint Talkin' 'Bout Love.

In conclusion, a pretty good show that just got better as the night went on. A few points I'd like to make: There were very few production effects (no pyros or video and minimal props) and I think that fits the mood of this tour perfectly. Keep the focus on the band. Turn Mikey's bass up just a little and give him a solo spot; Shorten the drum solo (Alex doesn't need to wow us on every tour when we already know he's one of the all time greats); And finally, shake up the setlist. There's nothing wrong with the current one, in fact it's perfect, but at this point in the tour it's time to change things around, throw in a few surprises. My own wishlist would include Me Wise Magic, Aftershock, 5150, The Full Bug, In a Simple Rhyme, Hear About It Later and of course, Hot For Teacher. I could go on and on, but this review is already too long! Keep up the good work fellas!

Absolutely, positively the best live show in the world!!! Van Halen, excuse me, THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN ripped apart the Polaris Ampitheater tonight with a blistering set which included classics all the way from "I'm The One" to "Why Can't This Be Love" to the soon to be classic "Without You."

Eddie proved that he was still king. He reminded me of the "Joker" from Batman because he could not get the smile off of his face the entire night. He seemed as if he was the happiest man alive and he played with such a fire and with such passion. He is still he greatest guitarist in the world.

Alex showed how powerful a rock drummer should be as he awed the crowed with his solo. Fantastic!!! Mike had the crowd on the verge of anarchy with his rendition of "Somebody Get Me A Doctor." The crowd was going nuts when the song was done and Gary said that Mike was only allowed to sing one lead vocal a night. This caused a boo from the crowd and a laugh from Gary.

Speaking of Gary, wow! This man is amazing. What a showman and what an absolutely amazing voice. He breathed new life into the VH classics that have been buried for many years.

VH threw a little twist into the set tonight. After the encore of "Josephina," "Panama," and "Jump" they came back out to do a "Dance the Night Away"/"Feel Your Love Tonight" combo. After the solo break (I think) in "Dance..." the band broke into "Feel Your Love Tonight." The crowd was going crazy. Everyone loved it.

On the radio on the way home the only thing callers said negatively about the show was that Gary needed to learn how to dress. Yeah, like Dave and Sammy were stylish ones. Everyone thought that it was phenomonal and were very grateful for the return of some classics.

No one could deny that the VH machine was stronger than ever and not even coming close to stopping. Now I'm looking forward to the next album and tour. Finally, some words of advice: If you are skeptical of the new VH then go to the show, all of your doubts will disappear. VH3 KICKS ASS!!! LONG LIVE VAN HALEN!!!!!!

What else can I say other than "WOW!!!" I have seen Van Halen 10 times, 9 times with Sammy as the lead, and last night with Gary as the front man. The concert was awesome!!

My 8 month pregnant wife and I had decent seats, about 100 or so feet from the stage. She had never seen VH before, but likes them pretty much, considering I play VH cds day after day. I had read reviews about previous shows and I was so pumped up after reading that the band had been opening up with "Unchained!" I played that damn song over and over, day after day, leading up to the day of the concert.

Finally the day had come. We sat in our seats, and about 15 minutes later, the crowd started yelling and here they came!! The band was on stage and sure enough, Eddie started jamming "Unchanied!!" It was totally awesome! I don't know the exact set list, but Eddie came out with a pair of long, blue jean shorts, a t-shirt, and the red shoes!! He was pretty mellow as they jammed songs from all their eras.

After the drum solo, Eddie came out without a shirt and had definitely gotten into a groove. He smiled the whole time, jumping all over the stage, showing off his skills!! Gary made his presence known with his strong voice, doing one hell of a job on the older songs! Michael Anthony kicked ass all night with backup vocals and brought out the JD guitar when he sang lead after Gary asked out loud "Is there a doctor in the house?"

Alex's solo was incredible. It wasn't too long, or too short....it was perfect!! At one point in the solo he was using one of his sticks to slam a drum on the left, then the right, then the left... over and over....he was flying!!! Ed's solo was, as usual, "breath taking" and once again gave me the chills. He is without any doubt still the king!! He went in and out of Eruption a couple times, not missing a beat and playing the chords perfectly. The man is the greatest! Gary definitely puts on a show and fits in with the band. He has tons of energy and kept it flowing!

All in all, this is a show that anyone who is even a half-n-half VH fan must see!!! True musicians play their music live just as it is on CD - and VH sure can play live!!! I look forward to the next time I see VH kick some more ass live!!

It wasn't the band that I fell in love with in 1978, as a junior in high, it was much, much better. This was my third chance to see Van Halen live, and it was by far the greatest rock and roll concert I have seen in all my 36 years.

From the first riffs of "Unchained" to the last words out of Gary's mouth this was an awesome experience. Yes I was a DLR fan and I still love Sammy, but the way Gary covered their stuff, I was not disappointed at all. He put so much energy into the whole show and his voice is so powerful, all I can say is go see these guys.

What can you say about Eddie that hasn't already been said. He continues to amaze me. His solo in "Year To The Day" was the same solo he always does but yet it was still different and fresh. From the smile on his face all night you could tell he enjoys his work.

Big Al on the drums is a site to behold and his solo was fantastic. I love the Latin flavor to the drum solo. Mike is like the unsung hero of this band, his lead on "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" was great and his bass, well I can still feel it pounding in my chest!

Three is the charm for VAN HALEN and I wish I could see them more often instead of once or twice every 3 years. If your not sure about the new VAN HALEN go see them live and you will be sure that they are still the greatest rock and roll band on the planet!

OH MY GOD!! I just saw these guys 4 nights ago in Cincinnati and I swore that was the best concert of my life. I was wrong! Last night they were unbelievable!!

I purchased my tickets at 1:00 on Friday afternoon, I was able to get 4 tix in the 8th row on Mikey's side of the stage, but they were listed as "Limited View". Turns out, they were pretty much front row, and the only thing blocking our view was Mikey and sometimes Gary or Ed!!

They did 2 encores last night!! The usual Josephina, Panama & Jump....and then, they came back out and did Dance the Night Away and Feel Your Love. It was unbelievable!! I believe this is the first time they have done 2 encores on this tour.

This was by far the best show I have ever seen. I saw them four times with Sammy and twice now with Gary, and I have to say that it is a MUCH better show with Gary. The band seems to be having so much fun out there, and Gary can flat out sing! My advice to anyone, especially those who claim not to like 3, go to the F%@king concert, you will not be disappointed!

The best band in the land has spoken... and sung, and burned up fretboards, and smacked a mean set of drums! Van Halen put on an electrifying show to a crowd that payed for seats, but only used them for clatter to bring the band back out for two encores at Polaris Ampitheatre on July 25, 1998.

Doubters be damned, the Mach III version of Van Halen is as big and bad as ever! After hip replacement (EVH never had a hip replacement - Editor), Eddie looks great, jumping around stage like that kid we saw in '78. The recouperating Alex never missed a step, which included a drum solo that logistically should have been performed by no less than two people. Michael kept the bass thumping and added lead vocals on "Somebody Get Me A Doctor." The night was completed by the energized performance and the amazing vocal skills of Gary Cherone.

The addition of Gary provides new cohesion to the Kings of Rock, as the band showed their skills performing new songs including "One I Want" and "Fire In The Hole" as well as classics such as "Mean Street" and "Jump." There is a true bond between Eddie and Gary as diplayed by their phenomenal acoustic performance of "Josephina." Van Halen is a band totally rejuvinated as proven to me by being part of an audience that could not get enough.

About halfway through the SECOND encore it hit me......It just doesn't get any better than this!!! Van Halen put on the best show I've ever seen Saturday night in Columbus. To start, I managed to buy 8th row tickets 24 hours before the show. As it turns out, the way the seating is arranged, we were right on the stage rail in front of Mikey!

The set list was loaded with my personal favorites "Dreams", "Panama", and "Humans Being" as well as classics I had never heard live before such as "Dance The Night Away", "I'm The One" and "Somebody Get Me A Doctor", which Mike rocked with amazing lead vocals.

Gary sounded even better than he did Tuesday night in Cincinnati and kept the crowd on their feet the entire night with his energetic stage presence. He has definitely shown that he belongs on the stage with these guys.

Eddie was definitely on tonight. If this guy has a bad hip, I want one too!! He hit one jump where he was 5 or 6 feet off of the floor!! ( I have a picture! ) This is the closest I have ever seen him in person and the things he does with a guitar just blows my mind.

It was good to see the guys having fun out there again. Don't miss this show!!!!!!!!!

Well, what can I say. The last show I saw, was Sammy Hagar (3 times) last summer. The shows before that, was VH on their Balance tour in Detroit.

The show opened with Kenny Wayne Shepherd. I wasn't too impressed by him. There was way to much guitar. He would sing, then leave the stage for like 10 minutes. I wasn't too happy with his performance.

About 8:30pm, I started to hear the guitar, and wow, UNCHAINED just ECHOED through the stadium. I ran to my seat, and Gary, Ed, Alex and Michael Anthony were up on stage, getting under way.

They did a great job. The only thing was the concert wasn't loud enough. We were at an outdoor venue, so it could have been a lot louder. We sat in about the 30th row, to the right of the stage. Ed was on the other side of the stage. We were annoyed by a "BLUE" spot light behind Ed, shining right out at us. It blinded us, so we had a hard time seeing him play.

They played a great set list. I was glad not to hear "How Many Say I." I don't really like that song. But, they kicked ass all night.

Their encore consisted of Josephina, Panama, and Jump. Then, they came BACK OUT, for a 2nd encore, which surprised the hell out of my friends and I. I read the set lists for prior concerts, and they had one encore, but last night, there were two. They came back out, and jammed with "AIN'T TALKIN' 'BOUT LOVE" and "Dance The Night Away".

The concert kicked ass. I will admit though, Gary seems to be to "Fruity" on stage. He was like a Ballerina. I give him credit. Over all, it was a good show. I did, however, like the Balance tour a little more, just because I am a die hard Sammy fan.

But to all of you out there, go see Van Halen this year. They kicked ass, and there was a lot of energy at the concert!